Camaro Truck Arm Suspension - Armed And Dangerous

Truck Arm Suspension From The Depths Of Hotrods To Hell

Ever dreamt that your F-body handled like full-blown NASCAR? Well, that fantasy may be closer to a reality than you ever expected, provided that you already have the 850hp small-block.

The suspension that sends Winston Cup cars hurtling around the oval is not as complicated as one might think. In fact, the basic principles are simpler than what is hidden under a box stock C5 Corvette!

Hotrods To Hell, in Burbank, California, has been designing truckarm-style suspension for over 10 years to fit numerous Chevrolet makes and models. We of course were fascinated when we heard about their F-body kit. As many are aware, the stock Gen I Camaros are prone to tremendous wheelhop off the line and are sloppy around the twisties. Although many cures have been sought after over the years, a suspension that is proficient around the corners and on the strip was, to our knowledge, non-existent until now. The HTH truckarm utilizes the same dual arm with coil springs that was pioneered in '60s-era NASCARs.

The design allows each wheel to travel independently without disturbing its counterpart. The car is also being "driven" from a point that is further forward, hence the long control arms. So, when we say that the kit made our test Camaro handle like a slot car, we mean it! In an effort to obtain quantifiable results we made a few passes down the streets of Burbank with our Tazo Vehicle Performance Computer. The stock suspension yielded a best 1/8-mile time of 9.450 at 78 mph. After the truckarm install we clicked off an 8.910 at 84 mph, a marked improvement.

The installation process took approximately 35 man-hours, and required strong MIG welding skills. The actual assemblage was simple and required basic air tools. For the average do-it-yourselfer, this suspension could be installed in about a week's time.

MORE PHOTOS

Due to the high concentration of welding sparks, the gas tank was removed.

The carpet kit and interior were removed, to give access to the floor panels.

After the floor was exposed, the appropriate section was cut with a sawzall on both driver, and passenger sides.

The new floor sections provided more clearance under the F-body, which was needed for the arms. After checking for proper fitment, the inserts were stitch-welded in place.

The panels were sealed with 3M seam sealer, then texturized and painted.

With the rearend out of the car, the old saddles were torched off.

The rear diagonal support box was welded in place.

The front crossmember shares the same bolting location as the front clip. The ends of the crossmember were welded in place to the edge of the floorpan.

The screw jack hardware was welded in. This was also the location of the new coil spring.

The new U-bolts, saddles and spacers were fitted before they were welded in place.

The pinion angle was the last adjustment before the rear axle was welded to the saddles. This was crucial, and warranted a digital leveling device.

The new arms were bolted to the crossmember.

The other end of the arms are pivoted to reach the rearend and then connected. At this point, attention was diverted to installing the rest of the panhard assembly.

The panhard mounting plates were stitch-welded in place along with the panhard support brace.

The upper shock mounts were butted up directly to the mounting plates and tacked in place.

Using a hydraulic lifting device helped to center and support the panhard crossmember. Due to the expertise of the HTH installers, they had the dimensions memorized. For the rest of us, the instructions provided the proper measurements.

After being lined up the panhard crossmember was welded in place.

The harp plate was tacked in place. If the geometry is correct the plate will contour the rail.

The panhard crossmember supports were welded to the floorpan on one edge and to the crossmember on the other.

The diagonal crossmember supports were welded in place. One end is tacked to the front crossmember while the other is welded to the diagonal support box.

We then dropped the spring into place as the rearend was raised.

The rearend was lifted up and the shocks were installed. Having the lower shock mount already connected made the upper easier to connect.

We connected the panhard bar to the lower shock mount.

After connecting the bar to the panhard crossmember, we leveled the bar 90 degrees to the tires.

We reinstalled the interior, carpeting and gas tank and gave everything a final once over.